Thursday, June 4th, 2020

Today I got the chance to fish with my old buddy Ed Austin. Ed is the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to Lake Camanche. He grew up at the town of Camanche before they flooded it and turn it in to a reservoir.

After 20 years of fishing with Ed on this lake, he still points out things to me that I am amazed by.

Okay let’s get to the fishing report. We fished from about 7:00 am-1:00 pm because it was HOT! Even though it was a shorter day, we still ended up catching 16 fish. Nothing big but a lot of fun!

The surface temperature was 75° and the clarity was around 7 feet.

When we got there, I caught two fish on a Spook and all the rest came on a 1/4 oz Frenzy Nail with a watermelon purple flake Trick Worm and a NED head with a big TRD in mud bug color. Thanks again to Jay at Hook’d in Ione for recommending that color to me. It has been a fish catcher for sure!

We caught mostly largemouth in the morning and spots later in the afternoon. They were all in 10’ to 20’feet of water on points and island tops.

I think if you get there early you can probably get on a good topwater bite. One more thing I need to mention is that I’m using 20# braid with a 8# Gamma Edge Fluoro leader. Not only is it the strongest fluorocarbon, I have ever used but I think it is essential to get more bites. Please try to support your local tackle shops. They need support more than ever right now. I hope this helps. Good luck fishing!!

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

Fishing is pretty awesome right now. I was up this past weekend with my wife and kids. The kids had a blast catching a few! Ned rigs and 6” worms on a shaky head will get lots of bites. Our bites came in 5-15’ on rocky flats. Hope this helps

Wednesday, May 13th, 2020

I know some people are going to be a little uneasy about me doing a report about fishing Camanche because only Amador and Calaveras County residents are allowed to BUT I don’t make the rules, I just happen to live there. So after five days of fishing the lake, I am going to share what it was like after the shutdown.

WOW! Like I said, I was on the water five days and in that time we caught over 300 fish. The largest one was about 8 pounds. Most of the fish were in the 6’ to 12 ‘ depth range, on points,￼￼ and slow tapering banks. The best baits have been a Frenzy Nail with a Zoom Trick Worm or a NED bait in watermelon or green pumpkin ￼ color￼.

The surface temperature is around 72 ￼￼￼and the visibility is about 7‘. I have to thank Jay at Hook’d tackle store ￼in Ione for telling me about the Ned bite. Shout out to the mom and pop stores that need our business right now. You can check them out online at hookd4life.com.

Here are a couple of pictures of a couple of the fish me and my family caught this week.

I hope this helps, ￼￼￼if you are able to go.

Good luck fishing!
StanL

Saturday, March 21st, 2020

My good friend Bud Porter and I decided to do some “Social distancing” on Camanche. So we headed over to the lake. When we got there we noticed that the water had been dropping and that usually means it’s going to be challenging fishing.

We had overcast sky and the water temperature was in the high 50's and there was 6 to 10 ‘ visibility. With the conditions we knew the fish should be shallow so we started off by throwing some moving baits.

On my second cast with a shad colored crankbait I got one about 3lb. Another 30 minutes past with no more bites for me. Bud got one on a Ned style bait with a Frenzy Nail.

We decided to slowdown and fish down baits, We threw the same baits we had used at hogan .... a Senko type ￼bait on a Frenzy Wack a Sack and Ned on a nail. We started fishing all the flats in les than 20’ of water and we ended up catching over 20 fish for the day.

By the way I’ve recently discovered a tackle store in Ione ca. Called “HOOK’D “ I was pleasantly surprised how much bass tackle they had. I hope this helps.

Monday, February 10th, 2020

Today I had the privilege of jumping in the boat with George and Jessie West at Camanche￼￼￼.We had about four hours to fish and it turned out to be a challenging fishing day.

We had blue bird sky with no wind and 6’ to 10’ visibility. The he surface temperature￼ was at 53 degrees ￼and the lake outflow was at 330 CFS and the inflow was at 240CFS. It was pretty tuff fishing for us but we managed to catch 7 fish. All of the fish we ￼￼￼did catch were related to vertical breaks.

What that means is if you'refishing an island￼￼￼ top and the top of the island is in 20‘ and one side drops straight off to 40,’thats the kind of stuff the fish will suspend next to.The best approach is to throw your baits on top and let itdrop as close to the break as possible.

The best baits for us was a drop shot with a shad colored worm ￼or a Frenzy Nail with a Berkley the General worm.I hope this helps and good luck fishing.
Stan Lafever

Friday, January 3rd, 2020

I want to start off by saying how challenging the fishing has been at Camanche lately. I attibute that to 297 CFS of inflow and 327 CFS of outflow. Other factors that are effecting the bite is that the surface temperature has been hanging around 55°, the lake not turning over and the water being extremely clear.

The most consistent bite has been in the 30’ to 50’ range on points and steep breaks.

The best baits have been jigs, dropshots and dartheads.

My partner Jerry and I fished the New Year’s Day tournament. We landed 12 keepers with most of them being
caught In the first 2 hours of the morning.

There were 27 teams total.

The winners were Jerry and Dan with a winning weight of 12.46 lbs. My partner Jerry and I finished second with 11.76 and Shawn and Chris took third with 11.20

I know I don’t speak for myself when I say how much we appreciate Steve Dollard for taking time to put this New Year's Day event on. It’s always a great tournament with a great bunch of guys.

With that being said I would like to share a picture of my partner Jerry and I taking second place at Camanche almost exactly 30 Years ago in January of 1990. The second picture is of Jerry and I last year fishing the same event, but unfortunately, I didn't get a photo from this year.

Sunday, December 1st, 2019

After Thanksgiving, my buddy Ryan and I went out to lake to fish the yearly Black Friday Shootout Camanche and it was challenging to say the least.

First of all I would like to congratulate Bud and Kyle Porter for their win. They had a total weight of 16.95 with a beautiful 7.18 largemouth kicker they caught on an undisclosed swimbait.

When we got on the water the surface temperature in the morning was 59. The water clarity was about 3 to 4 feet.

We caught about 15 keepers for the day all in the 35’ to 50’ range on island tops. We threw a football head jig with a green pumpkin Berkley Power Bait Bearded Deuce.
The bite was definitely better in the morning but the fish would just peck at it. We ended up changing from a ¾ ounce head to the ½ ounce head, which seemed to help.

Rounding out the top three was

1st Bud and Kyle with 16.95
2nd Jerry and Dan with 14.12
3rd Ryan and I with 12.80

I have to give a big shout out to Steve and Crystal Dollard who put this on every Black Friday and New Year’s Day.

I hope this helps. Good luck fishing

Monday, September 30th, 2019

What a difference a day makes. Me and my buddy John finally made it to the lake at the crack of dawn. Even with the surface temperature at 73°and a front coming in, we both started throwing reaction baits.

John was chucking a spinnerbait and I was throwing a crankbait. After about 15 minutes of that, we moved out to a main lake point that was adjacent to the river channel.

As soon as we got there, John picked up a brown 1/2 oz jig with a craw trailer and on the first cast he picked up a nice fish, so I went to a Frenzy Nail with a Berkley PowerBait Bottom Hopper worm in green pumpkin and it was on ..
For the next 30 minutes, we jump

We didn’t catch another fish until after 12 o’clock and we ended up moving out deeper and catching them on steeper points between 35 and 50 feet of water. All of those fish came on the same jig and a dropshot rig with a shad colored 4 inch worm.

There was 613 CFS of water going out with 355 CFS going in, which might be contribute to a little better fishing than what it was a week ago when it was 1,899 CFS going out and 216 CFS coming in. The watercolor is still good with about eight feet of visibility

Overall, it just goes to show you, when you’re fishing, everything could change every hour during this time of year. Keep an open mind.

I hope this helps and good luck fishing.

Stan

Sunday, September 22nd, 2019

Camanche report
Today it was my daughter's birthday. I took both her and my daughter inlaw fishing for celebrate my daughter's birthday. We got on the water at safe daylight and I wish I could say we hammered them but to tell the truth we struggled.

The surface temperature was 73 degrees. There was 1,899 CFS (cubic feet per second) going out and 216CFS coming in. It usually makes the fishing extremely challenging whenever more water is going out then it is coming in and it usually￼ makes the fish suspend at Camanche. You can see what it looked like on my Lowrance

We caught four fish all on the dropshot technique with a Strike King KVD Dream Shot worm.The fish we did catch were on points where there was a break from 20 to 40 feet hope this helps good luck fishing

Sunday, August 18th, 2019

When we got to Camanche the surface temperature was 79° and everywhere we looked the water was pretty clear.

The lake had about 6 to 10 foot visibility ,so we started off fishing the north side of lake.

We began by throwing a Rico and a Berkeley J-Walker with no luck.

As the sun came up we moved out to Island tops in 15nto 25 feet of water, so we started concentrating on down baits. We tried everything plus the kitchen sink at them. The only bates that worked for us was a dropshot With a Strike King Dream Shot worm and a Frenzy Nail with a Zoom Trick Worm.

We ended up fishing until about noon. We only caught seven fish. It’s still beats staying home and mowing the lawn.

Friday, May 31st, 2019

Shallow, shallow, shallow is the key for us at Lake Camanche this week.

My buddy John and I went out and found the water with a surface temperature of 69° first thing in the morning.

We thought the first hour should be a topwater and lipless crankbait bonanza, but we had zero results.

As the morning was progressing, I picked up a Frenzy Baits nail head with a 6 inch Zoom Trick Worm and John used a dropshot with a 6 inch shad colored, handpoured worm and we started catching them.

We targeted flats that were 15 foot and under and caught 12 fish. Nost of the bites came at the end of a long casts, as if the fish are a little bit spooky.
￼
And I have to throw out a little shout out to my buddy Nick Doring that I jumped in the boat with a few days ago when he caught this 8 lbs. 11 oz. beauty!

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019

Report: Fishing bankers hours again after kindergarten drop off. Looked to expand on last weeks rip bait fish and started on the flats down in rabbit creek for zero fish on various pointer minnows and rattle baits.

After an hour or so, ran across the lake and tried again on a big flat just short of the dike. Again zero fish, but drifted in shallow while getting a drink and started to notice cruisers and beds everywhere. Perfect conditions for sight fishing with greasy slick surface and a flat sky. Realizing I left my bed fishing box on the bench I quickly rigged up bubblegum and white/chartreuse senkos and got to work.

First cast to cruising 2# and he rushed up to grab it on the fall. Next 3 beds each had solitary 2# class fish locked up and eat on the first casts. Turned and worked the other side of the pocket for 2 more cruisers then found 2 more beds with aggressive occupants. I’m no sight fishing expert, but it’s been years since I’ve found fish so aggressive and concentrated all at the same time.

Got on the trolling motor and turned up the speed looking for bigger fish but only found 1-2# class fish as I worked my way up towards the submerged island tops closer to the entrance to South Shore.

Went old school with a crawdad colored fat rap and dredged up 2 nice 2.5# spots in about 6’ on an island top. Hit the spot lock and fan casted a wacky rigged green pumpkin senko for 4 more chunky spots and LM up to 3#.

Ran up to China Gulch and continued prospecting with the fat rap and followed the same routine. Most spots would only yield 1 fish on the crank, but more often than not would surrender additions fish on the senko. Crossed over to the West Bank, lather rinse repeat.

Moved out to the north wall in Launcha Plana and the Fat Rap continued to be the hot bait. Coasting downwind through the submerged boulders the bite was interesting as the fish all hit immediately next to the bank or right as the bait approached the boat and turned up to the surface, nothing in between.

Cranked rock piles on the east side for the same pattern as the morning. 1-2 fish on the fat rap, spot lock, then another couple of fish on the senko or drop shot.

My Motorguide Tour TM’s served me well for 30 years, but now it’s hard to imagine fishing without spot lock and auto pilot. Minn Kota has figured it out!

Surprised the Jerkbait bite vanished, but very pleased to see the fat rap still produces.

Maybe 3 dozen fish, 1/4 LM, 3/4 Spots in all stages of the spawn, but did not see any fry yet. Best 5, maybe 14#.

Water started at 59* and peaked at 63* with solid 4’+ clarity and partly cloudy skies with variable winds up to 10mph

Sunday, March 31st, 2019

At Camanche this week the water is stabilizing with 2,218 CFS coming in and 1,601 going out. The surface temperatures of the water is hitting 61° in the afternoon, in some places and the fish are moving shallow.

If you go, make sure you fish THE DAY, meaning fish the conditions of that particular day.

On stormy days, you want to throw reaction baits and on sunny and callm days, stick with the bottom baits like worms,jigs, Senkos etc.

Moved on throwing Lucky Craft Pointer Minnows and Basstrix around the houseboats before moving uplake for 1 more dink spot.

Focused on secondary points around Launcha Plana and got in to a nice rhythm on a half dozen chunky 2# -2.5# spots ripping the Ghost Minnow 100 Pointer and an old school black/gold Bomber Long A.

Starting to piece together where they were holding, I slowed down with a wacky rigged green pumpkin senko and picked off a nice mix of 8 spots and largemouth up to 3.25# on the next 3 points, all hitting on the initial drop in 4’-6’ of water.

A brief squall came through late afternoon so we ran down lake to get away from the showers and ominous skies. Tucked in to fish some sheltered pockets along the north shore campgrounds and day use areas for 2 more LMB on senkos before calling it a day around 6. No giants, but a nice day on the lake with steady action and virtually zero boat traffic.

Thursday, March 21st, 2019

This week things are changing up here at Camanche. The lake is clearing up. The surface temperature is up to 59 degrees in the afternoon. The fish were just starting to pull up to the banks but then they dropped the lake about about two feet in four days This happens every year with Camanche since it is the fluctuating pool for pardee.

We ended up backing out into 10 to 20 feet of water and catching all our fish with a 6 inch worm on a Frenzy Nail “ Shakey Head and a wacky Senko. We got them on places right outside of spawning areas.

And I also have to congratulate Tim Wells for that 15.1 pound giant last week.

And remember it is springtime so please practice catch and release and good luck fishing!

Sunday, March 10th, 2019

Of the 10 days, 7 of them were at Camanche and 2 were at Melones with the surface temperature being really close to the same at both lakes.

It starts out in the morning about 51 and goes up to 54 at Camanche. The water is as dirty as Camanche gets. I've been catching a lot more fish in 15 to 25 feet of water on 1/2 oz black and blue Jigs by working it SLOW in the main lake and the river.

At melones, we’ve been catching them real good on drop off’s in the 35 to 50 foot range. I know that there are shallow fish there also, but we were on a pretty consistent bite in that depth range with 3/4 oz football jig and a Green Pumpkin Yamamoto Hula grub.

GOOD LUCK FISHING!
Stan

Saturday, March 2nd, 2019

Couple of days ago, my buddy John and I went out during the storm trying to catch a big one on reaction baits,

I started throwing a swimbait and John started cranking. After a while with no action I picked up a Strike King PB&J 1/2 oz football jig. On my first cast, I caught a decent fish in about 18 feet of water. With only a few hours to fish John picked one up also and for the next three hours we had a awesome time. It always surprising to me how fast these fish move up on the right day. We concentrated in the main lake on banks that were windblown and had some deep water out in front of them

We went back The next day and the fish changed big time. The main lake got dirty from the rain and wind overnight and we ended up catching all of our fish up the River on breaks in 35 to 50 feet on 3/4 oz jigs.

The lake is starting to fall with only 1,347. (CFS) coming in and 2,397 (CFS ) going out.

I am going out today. We will see how it has changed again.

Good luck fishing

Wednesday, February 20th, 2019

Report: The lake water is on the rise and stained. Visibility is about 4 to 5 feet.

Most of the fish have been coming between 35 and 50 feet on dropshot and jigs.

The water temperature has been starting out at 50 degrees early in the morning all going up all the way to 53 in the afternoon Later in the day, the fish are moving up. I was catching them as shallow as 15 feet when it's warmer afternoon and the as the water rises during the day. The last week they are letting in more water from Pardee then they are letting out, so it is getting noticably higher as the week passed.

I saw suspended fish, threw out a spybait and caught this crappie. There are some big crappe here.

With the stormy, windy days coming, make sure you bring a swimbait or an a-rig